“Maximus, before you go… I need you to sign this document. Otherwise, I promise you, Serenity and I are going to have a very good time together…”Maximus’s eyes widened in shock. All his children were at home. That bastard Leonardo had planned everything meticulously, waiting for Maximus to leave th
[Bartz Mansion]Marcus and Valerie were slowly finding some stability. Valerie, now over six months pregnant, was enjoying a quiet afternoon in the garden with Marcus when a knock at the mansion door broke their peace. Camille went to open it, only to find the family lawyer from the Levett estate, f
A finely carved wooden door creaked open. A hooded man entered, holding a camera. Without a word, he took pictures of her and recorded her, ignoring her desperate cries.“Boss, I’ve sent you the pictures of the girl. The others haven’t woken up yet. I’ve got them separated, just as you ordered,” the
The same morning that Leonardo Palmer was claiming what he believed was "rightfully" his, Frank Levett Jr. appeared at the Valeria police station. He was pushing a wheelchair carrying what was left of a man—a frail, senile figure barely upright against the chair's backrest. That man was none other t
Frederick told her about how Marcus had fled to avoid certain death, knowing that if Frank Levett discovered he was still alive, he would hunt him down. He recounted how Marcus had narrowly escaped an assassination attempt in New York, where someone who resembled him had been decapitated as a warnin
As Marcus grappled with his arrest, Valerie unraveled the painful truth, and Maximus fought to navigate the chaos around him, a new layer of tension unfolded. John and Ethan, two young boys, were the last children waiting to be picked up from school. After a long wait, an armored vehicle finally arr
“What?!”“You heard me. I need your help. Contact our men—we need to locate Maximus’s children right away.”“Don’t worry, Dad. I’ll request clearance to return immediately and get the team together. But you know what this means, don’t you?”“I know, Alden,” Peter admitted, his voice heavy with guilt
Peter rushed back to Valentia from Slovenia, while Alden’s flight also made its return. Although parts of their plan regarding Leonardo and Frank were falling into place, they hadn’t anticipated Leonardo’s fixation on Serenity—let alone his interest in Maurice.At the Bartz residence, chaos reigned.
"That's right. I'd like to speak with him alone, if you don't mind, Mr. Evans.""I think you're misunderstanding something. Letting you into my home doesn't mean you get to decide whether I'm in the conversation or not. Still, I'm trying to be reasonable—and if Paul wants to speak with you alone, on
Not too thrilled about it, Paul left his room and headed toward the garden, where a man was already waiting for him—one who didn't look his age. And to be honest, the resemblance between young Paul and the man was unmistakable.As soon as he heard footsteps approaching, the man—already sipping a cup
Time had flown by. The Bartzes were about to leave, and with them, Serenity and Alden. In just a week, everything would change again. It was clear that once the Bartzes returned to Hesperia, the families in Valentia would start making moves too. As everyone already knew, Theodore would stay in Flor
She was still holding her bridal bouquet—hadn't even had the chance to toss it. And even if she had, there would've been no one to catch it, since the whole wedding had been so secret and closed-off.Mary walked behind him, trying to catch up. She didn't understand why he was so upset."Mary, there'
She ended the call. She could feel her grandson was suffering because of the mistakes he'd made, but she couldn't give him the same kind of affection she used to when he was a child.This time, he hadn't just fallen—he'd hurt someone else. And not just once. He'd hurt her both physically and emotion
[The past]Mary woke up after a long nap. Peter had been right—the lavender oil had really relaxed her.Maybe it was the move, maybe it was having Grandma Catherine and Peter around, or maybe it was just that she knew she had to be strong so she could recover quickly and see her grandfather again—bu
"Mr. Palmer, I know you came here looking for something that might stop me from seeing my daughter. But I can assure you—if there's one thing I've always been, it's stubborn. I didn't even listen to my own parents—at least not until they finally found a way to tie me down..."And I won't back down f
Maximus looked at the young man, stared him in the eyes—and saw exactly what he'd been hoping to see. After receiving the full report on Adrian's life, he already knew the guy was telling the truth. At moments, he could even see himself reflected in the young man. Though, if he was being honest, Ad
Maximus knew full well that his daughter was going through a pivotal moment in her life. He could see it clearly—just as his children grew, so did their problems. All he could do now was pray to every saint he could think of, asking for the wisdom to guide them the best way he could.Maximus had al